From the Stormsurge it appears GUNS GUNS GUNS is the call of the day. You can identify at least four different weapons systems (three if the different missile pods are the same except for artistic license). The new Stealth Suit looks to be up scaled so perhaps new support systems involved.

The Vespid I suspect were someone's pet project and they got bored and/or transferred. Not a whole lot has ever happened with them except being slaughtered in the BL stories.

Given the new Riptide model and that forgeworld monstrosity, I worry a little bit about the design aesthetic going into the Tau these days. They just seem to be bolting on giant guns for the sake of it, and I don't know if that's a good look for them. They're straying towards "orky."

Very true. While I know it's a fool's errand to look at 40K with an engineering eye with some of these new Tau designs you take a glance and can't help thinking there's no way that could function without magic. no Arthur C Clark quotes, please

150 box ... omg I will not buy something like that before long but i gotta admnit it looks pretty details for the model looking sweet even if i don't judge it to be particulary appealing to the eye compared to normal tau suit that are much more elegant ^^

The Ghostkeel does sound interesting and seems you can kit it up to be a tank hunter or infantry scythe like other stealths. I've been reading the potential for plenty of cover save shenanigans as well.

I'm actually starting to warm up to the Stormsurge. After reading the most recent White Dwarf, I see some good potential for it with the Pulse Blast Cannon (I'm thinking we should just call this the Pulse shotgun).

Rather than using the stabilizers and giving up mobility, I see using a unit of two or three Stormsurges aggressively. As GCs they can keep up with the rest of our army just fine and so set them to hunting enemy super heavies and GCs, or if none available vehicles and MCs. The nice thing is that again as a GC, the Stormsurge can use the rest of its many weapons to harass nearby infantry. That's a large amount of fire coming from the cluster rocket system and SMS. I'd even say in this role it would be worth upgrading to the twin-linked AFP for more great anti infantry.

And, if there aren't any SHs, GC, MCs, or vehicles to target just keep farther back from infantry you want to disappear and use the main guns large blast.

Even one Stormsurge by itself used this way can put out a lot of firepower and is fairly survivable given its number of wounds.

The Tau Breacher Squad sounds quite interesting, if you're of a short-range firefight bent (such as myself). Pulse Blasters sound sweet, though that extra-short high-power shot is going to be hard to manage with a larger squad.